Chandigarh, Sep 7 (IANS) Showcasing his unwavering commitment to the welfare of the people of the state, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has been closely monitoring the state’s massive relief and rescue operations right from his hospital bed, officials said on Sunday.

While recovering at Fortis Hospital, the Chief Minister has convened a meeting with Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha, DGP Gaurav Yadav and other senior officers.

Expressing deep concern over the prevailing situations due to floods, the Chief Minister has directed the Chief Secretary that not even a single citizen, affected by the natural fury, be left behind; besides, ensuring food, drinking water and medical aid to them, especially those isolated and cut off from the mainland.

Following the meeting, Chief Secretary Sinha shared that the Chief Minister is recovering fast and is expected to join us on the ground in a day or two. The latter’s heart and mind remain steadfast with thousands of families affected by the recent floods and heavy downpour, he added.

The Punjab Government stands united and determined to heal the wounds of the floods and rebuild every broken home, the official said.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister was apprised that as of today, more than 3,87,898 people have been directly displaced and more than 20 lakh people in 2,050 villages are affected across all the 23 flood-hit districts, severely affecting the economy of the state.

The Punjab government has so far evacuated 22,938 people from the worst-affected areas. In addition, the state government has set up 219 relief camps. A total of 5,404 people have been accommodated in these camps.

He was informed that across several districts of the state, a total of 176,980.05 hectares of crop area have been affected so far. Due to these floods, 48 people have lost their lives so far, while 3 people are reported to be still missing in Pathankot district.

–IANS

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